Tom Brady's latest revelation is another sign that NFL GOAT's career is nearing an end

Tom Brady receiving every Wednesday off during the 2022 NFL season is merely another sign that his career is moving closer to its conclusion.

While his initial retirement at the end of the 2021 season was short-lived, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback is clearly trying to put plans in place for life after football.

Brady’s personal life has been challenging of late due to the highly reported dissensions in his marriage. However, it is clear from his decision to stay with the team that he isn't yet ready to quit the game.

Gisele Bundchen was ready for that, but that isn’t enough for a quarterback who still feels he has something left to give the NFL.

Retirement is something he will need to ease into, and getting to spend one day per week away from the training facility and with his family is a start.

Why has Tom Brady taken this personal-day schedule now?

It’s incredibly difficult to maintain a healthy, long-term relationship when you have a career as demanding as what Tom Brady currently has in the NFL.

We’ll never fully know if he made Gisele Bundchen a promise that he would retire after 2021 and reneged on it. But it’s clear that she has been left devastated by his decision to return to the NFL.

Missing 11 days in training camp was the first sign that things weren’t well in the household. Although the intensity of the drama has since subsided.

Tom Brady knows he can’t play forever. He has to make a calculation on whether extending his Hall of Fame-bound career is worth risking his marriage over.

The fact that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have allowed this particular concession suggests that compromise is the word of the day in Brady’s life.

Wednesdays for the remainder of the 2022 season will be personal days. The veteran QB will not go to the Bucs facility, nor will he contact teammates regarding professional matters.

What are the benefits of this solution for Tom Brady and his family?

Tom Brady wouldn’t be making these changes if he was planning for another long run in the league.

The chances of him signing with Miami Dolphins and loading up for another championship hunt in 2023 are exceptionally low. He is preparing to exit the NFL and wants to do so in a much more manageable way than he did at the beginning of the offseason.

Each Wednesday will give him a chance to unwind from football and spend time with his family. This will mentally prepare him for when he does end his amazing career.

It might satisfy Gisele also, who wants her husband to spend more time with her and their children. These Wednesdays will become family-centric days, which she expects will highlight the benefits of retirement to the 45-year-old.

What is also clear for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization is that they can prepare to find a new QB in 2023.

If the QB wasn’t going to retire, then the team wouldn’t allow their most important player to miss practice sessions in the preparation week for a game the following Sunday.

The Bucs have far more clarity than perhaps they did when Brady announced a shock retirement last year. They can now avoid the period of pain the Denver Broncos had to live through once Peyton Manning called time on his iconic career.

Is Tom Brady right to retire after the 2022 season?

There are risks with playing professional sport for too long. There is nothing left for the QB to prove in the NFL. But in staying an additional year, he is running the risk of a damaging concussion or long-term ACL ailment on every single play.

However, mental well-being is as important as physical health, and if the veteran knew he was going to be miserable just quitting football for good, he has made the right choice.

Football hasn't always caused friction between Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen

Gisele Bundchen’s feelings are understandable too. But if her husband isn’t happy mentally, then his continued presence around her and the children isn’t going to be beneficial for anyone.

His initial retirement always felt a bit forced, especially given the disappointing way the Bucs departed the playoffs last term.

He is now laying the foundation for a palatable departure that suits everyone and gives him a year to adjust to a new life with his personal days. He can do this while also keeping alive his pursuit of one more championship.

This is entirely sensible and fits in perfectly with how he has gone about all the other facets of his career. Meticulous preparation and intense engagement have always led Brady to success in the past, and there is no reason why that shouldn’t be the case now that he is doing the same thing with regards to retiring.